This invention relates to chemical control of pests and especially to a system for non-polluting control of pests.
Many of the pesticides upon which we depend heavily, such as DDT, used for the control of malaria-bearing mosquitos and for the protection of our crops, are now banned because of persistence in the environment and ecological damage. The less persistent organophosphorus and carbamate chemicals have been substituted for the banned materials, but some are more acutely toxic than DDT and have resulted in fatal accidents. Consequently, there are requirements for safer and less persistent means of pest control. Several alternatives to toxic chemicals have been proposed and used effectively. These are: (1) biological control (the use of predator species); (2) sterilization (dissemination of sterile males to cause infertile matings); (3) sex lures and baits (to attract pests into traps); and (4) pest-resistant strains (development of strains of crops and domestic animals which have a physiological resistance to the pests). Although these methods are very effective in specific applications, there are many pests for which such specific means of control have not been provided or for which these means are not economically feasible. A safe chemical method compatible with the environment, economically feasible and of general applicability is desirable.
With chemicals, there is a limit to the degree of non-persistence that can be achieved, because a substantial shelf-life is required for the practical distribution and use of chemical pesticides. A pesticidal system in which the product is synthesized at the site of application, however, has no shelf-life constraint and if non-toxic reactants are employed in such systems, they are capable of being both safe and non-polluting.